First Love
“You have forsaken your first love.”
Revelation 2:4 (NIV)
Ephesus library at night today; photo credit Gini Beth Welch
What would you write to your struggling friend? The book of Revelation is the Apostle John’s letter sent to seven actual first century churches who were knee deep in compromise, complacency, suffering, and persecution. John encourages them (and us!) not to give up or give in, but to remember that Jesus rules and reigns over all history. Revelation in form is a letter to these seven real churches, but in fact is a letter to all churches at all times. It tells us what we must know: Jesus has overcome and won the victory over Satan, sin, and death!
Ephesus today; Photo credit Gini Beth Welch
John’s letter is a first century circular letter designed to be read aloud to members of seven Asia Minor churches. Its first recipient will be the church at Ephesus. Ephesus was a metropolis with a population of approximately 250,000; the Mother Church for the six other churches; and the most important. Located on a seaport, Ephesus was once a great commercial city with three trade routes serving all of Asia Minor. It was a great cultural and political city, self-governing with no Roman troops. Ephesus featured Olympic games, a 25,000-seat amphitheater, large library, and extensive marketplace.
Ephesus was also a great religious city whose crown jewel was the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the world. It was a pagan, pluralistic culture well known for its sexuality and superstition.
The Apostle Paul spent three years in Ephesus. John also pastored there before being exiled for his faith to the Isle of Patmos. Ephesus was John’s home church and the first recipient of his letter to the Church. From Ephesus, John’s words will travel to the churches in Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
The church messages have a distinctive pattern. Each begins with an important self-description of Jesus that addresses their situation; commends their good; condemns an identified problem; offers a correction and an invitation to hear, and ends with a promised reward for those who obey.
The Ephesians had many commendable things found among them. They had keen minds, good works, faithful orthodoxy, and sound doctrine. They were intolerant of false teachers and hated immorality. With everything so good, what could be so wrong? They had lost their first love. Losing our first love for Jesus is not only soul killing, but church killing.
Think back to your own first love. I was fifteen years old, a junior in Mrs. Lollas’ high school Algebra II class. We had assigned seats and every day I sat behind this handsome, quiet, seventeen-year-old football star with a thick neck and big, broad shoulders. I was smitten even though it took him three days to tell me his name! Six years later my first love became my forever love when we married. The early days of our marriage were almost giddy. First love is excessive, exclusive, and enduring.
What are some of the indications of losing our first love for Jesus? Author Paige Brown suggests the following:
Prayer is the first thing to go.
There’s no music in our heart or song in our soul even when we sing
We grow content with the knowledge we have.
Money, not generosity, becomes a major part of our thinking.
We are touched by injustice, but do little to do anything about it.
The Ephesians became inward doctrinal navel gazers with little love for Christ or their neighbors. They lacked life-giving fellowship and witness. They defended the light of Christ, but didn’t shine it. As a result, Christ warns them of extinction, but He didn’t leave them there.
Instead Jesus provided a course correction by reminding them to remember, repent, and rekindle their first love for both Christ and each other. That trio -remember, repent, and rekindle- is practical encouragement for us today as well.
Love dies from malnourishment. Remember your first love and consider what kindles your love for Jesus. The primary means for rekindling our love for Christ is through God’s Word, prayer, and worship. Now consider what hinders your love for Jesus? Busyness, binge watching, screens, sleep, and social media are just a few things that may dull our love for Christ.
Someone once asked Jesus, “What is the greatest commandment?” Jesus responded with, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37,39)
Jesus cares more about having our first love than he does about our good doctrine or good works. Remember your first love, then repent and rekindle!